The Terrible Drought
1 The Lord said to me concerning the drought,
2 “Judah is in mourning;
its cities are dying,
its people lie on the ground in sorrow,
and Jerusalem cries out for help.
3 The rich people send their servants for water;
they go to the cisterns,
but find no water;
they come back with their jars empty.
Discouraged and confused,
they hide their faces.
4 Because there is no rain
and the ground is dried up,
the farmers are sick at heart;
they hide their faces.
5 In the field the mother deer
abandons her newborn fawn
because there is no grass.
6 The wild donkeys stand on the hilltops
and pant for breath like jackals;
their eyesight fails them
because they have no food.
7 My people cry out to me,
‘Even though our sins accuse us,
help us, Lord, as you have promised.
We have turned away from you many times;
we have sinned against you.
8 You are Israel's only hope;
you are the one who saves us from disaster.
Why are you like a stranger in our land,
like a traveler who stays for only one night?
9 Why are you like someone taken by surprise,
like a soldier powerless to help?
Surely, Lord, you are with us!
We are your people;
do not abandon us.’”
10 The Lord says about these people, “They love to run away from me, and they will not control themselves. So I am not pleased with them. I will remember the wrongs they have done and punish them because of their sins.”
11 The Lord said to me, “Do not ask me to help these people. 12 Even if they fast, I will not listen to their cry for help; and even if they offer me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not be pleased with them. Instead, I will kill them in war and by starvation and disease.”
13 Then I said, “Sovereign Lord, you know that the prophets are telling the people that there will be no war or starvation, because you have promised, they say, that there will be only peace in our land.”
14 But the Lord replied, “The prophets are telling lies in my name; I did not send them, nor did I give them any orders or speak one word to them. The visions they talk about have not come from me; their predictions are worthless things that they have imagined. 15 I, the Lord, tell you what I am going to do to those prophets whom I did not send but who speak in my name and say war and starvation will not strike this land—I will kill them in war and by starvation. 16 The people to whom they have said these things will be killed in the same way. Their bodies will be thrown out into the streets of Jerusalem, and there will be no one to bury them. This will happen to all of them—including their wives, their sons, and their daughters. I will make them pay for their wickedness.”
17 The Lord commanded me to tell the people about my sorrow and to say:
“May my eyes flow with tears day and night,
may I never stop weeping,
for my people are deeply wounded
and are badly hurt.
18 When I go out in the fields,
I see the bodies of men killed in war;
when I go into the towns,
I see people starving to death.
Prophets and priests carry on their work,
but they don't know what they are doing.”
The People Plead with the Lord
19 Lord, have you completely rejected Judah?
Do you hate the people of Zion?
Why have you hurt us so badly
that we cannot be healed?
We looked for peace, but nothing good happened;
we hoped for healing, but terror came instead.
20 We have sinned against you, Lord;
we confess our own sins
and the sins of our ancestors.
21 Remember your promises and do not despise us;
do not bring disgrace on Jerusalem,
the place of your glorious throne.
Do not break the covenant you made with us.
22 None of the idols of the nations can send rain;
the sky by itself cannot make showers fall.
We have put our hope in you, O Lord our God,
because you are the one who does these things.
1 Šis ir Tā Kunga vārds Jeremijam lielā sausuma laikā. 2 "Jūda sēro, tās pilsētu vārtos stāv iztvīkuši un nonīkuši cilvēki, tie guļ pie zemes sēru tērpos un skumjās, un augšup pret debesīm paceļas Jeruzālemes vaidi! 3 Dižciltīgie viņu starpā sūta savus kalpus pēc ūdens; bet, kad tie nāk pie akām, tie neatrod tur ūdeni un atgriežas ar tukšiem traukiem; tie vīlušies noskumst un apsedz savu galvu. 4 Tādēļ ka zeme stāv neapstrādāta, jo trūkst lietus, tad arāji savās cerībās ir vīlušies un apsedz skumjās savu galvu. 5 Pat briežu māte laukā atstāj savu bērnu, ko tā tikko pasaulē laidusi, tādēļ ka nav zāles barībai. 6 Arī meža ēzeļi stāv uz kailiem pauguriem un tver gaisu kā šakāļi. Viņu acis izdziest aiz barības trūkuma. 7 Kad mūsu grēki mūs apsūdz, Kungs, žēlo mūs Sava Vārda dēļ! Jo daudz ir mūsu pārkāpumu, ar ko mēs pret Tevi esam apgrēkojušies. 8 Ak, Israēla cerība, glābējs bēdu laikā! Kādēļ Tu gribi būt kā svešinieks šinī zemē un kā ceļinieks, kas paliek tikai pa nakti? 9 Kādēļ Tu gribi būt kā tāds, kas vīlies, kā varonis, kas nevar palīdzēt? Tu taču esi mūsu vidū, Kungs, un mēs esam nosaukti pēc Tava Vārda. Neatstāj mūs!" 10 Tā saka Tas Kungs par šo tautu: "Tie mīl šurpu turpu skraidīt, tie netaupa savu kāju. Bet Tam Kungam nav labs prāts uz tiem. Tagad Tas Kungs piemin viņu noziegumus un soda viņu grēkus." 11 Un Tas Kungs vēl man sacīja: "Tu neaizlūdz par šo tautu, lai tiem labi klātos! 12 Kad tie gavē, Es neuzklausu viņu piesaukšanu, kad tie atnes dedzināmos un ēdamos upurus, Es tos nepieņemu ar laipnību. Vislabāk Es tos iznīcinātu ar zobenu, badu un mēri!" 13 Tad es sacīju: "Ak, Kungs, Kungs, redzi, pravieši tiem saka: jūs neredzēsit zobena, un bads jums neuznāks; Es jums došu ilgstošu svētību šinī vietā!" 14 Tas Kungs man atbildēja: "Pravieši sludina melus Manā Vārdā, Es tos neesmu sūtījis, neesmu tiem pavēlējis, nedz uz tiem runājis. Tie sludina jums melu parādības, izdomātus viltus pravietojumus un pašizdomātus savas sirds maldus!" 15 Tādēļ Tas Kungs saka tā: "Tie pravieši, kas sludina Manā Vārdā, kaut gan Es tos neesmu sūtījis, un apgalvo, ka neskaršot šo zemi ne zobens, ne arī tajā būšot bads, tie mirs no zobena un bada! 16 Un tauta, kurai tie sludina, gulēs Jeruzālemes ielās, tie būs krituši no bada un zobena, viņi paši un viņu sievas, viņu dēli un meitas, un neviens tos neapglabās. Tā Es izliešu sodu par viņu ļaunumu pār tiem! 17 Bet tu saki tiem šo vārdu: manas acis plūst pāri no asarām dienām un naktīm un neatrod miera! Jo jaunava, manas tautas meita, ir ļoti satriekta, tā ir saņēmusi smagu sitienu un nedziedināmu ievainojumu. 18 Eju es uz lauka, es redzu tur ar zobenu nokautus; eju es pilsētā, es redzu tur badā mērdētus ļaudis! Pravieši un priesteri staigā pa zemi, ko tie pavisam nepazīst." 19 Vai tad Tu Jūdu pavisam esi pametis? Jeb vai Tev Ciāna apnikusi? Kādēļ Tu mūs esi tā sitis, ka mums nav vairs nekādas dziedināšanas? Mēs gaidām glābšanu, bet nav nekā laba, gaidām dziedināšanu, bet, redzi, ir tikai izbailes! 20 Ak, Kungs, mēs atzīstam savu bezdievību, arī mūsu tēvu noziegumu, ka mēs pret Tevi esam grēkojuši. 21 Nepamet mūs Sava Vārda dēļ, lai Tavas godības tronis nekrīt negodā! Piemini un nepārtrauc Savu derību ar mums! 22 Vai tad ir tautu dievu starpā tāds, kas liek lietum līt? Jeb vai debesis var dot lietu pašas par sevi? Vai ne Tu, Kungs, mūsu Dievs, esi tas? Mēs ceram uz Tevi, jo Tu to visu esi darījis.
